Daily Republican., 1887-10-19
TIE DARKEY IN rnD SWAMP,

one ot the Dlackest nlggers that ever
lived. Jim was 90 black that he would
shine at night In the dark, and his eye
balls were more than three fourths
white, or, as the boys used to say, ha d
little or no yolk In them.
THE first place Jim led his foraging
party was to the house of his former
master. Riding up to the door aud
disnounting, the first sound heard
was: We'll, If there amt old Jiml
How could you leave us. Jimy Didn't
you always say that you loved US
dearly
'These remarks were addressed to
him by lady who was Jim's old mic
tress. For moment he stood whirl-
ing his hat in his hand, not knowing
what to answer. then he blurted out:
"Yes, Missus, always dubbed you
an de chillen an de ole marster. an
all OBJ you, but you see, when dis chile
gun to canine inter de subject OBJ lub
den he fine out dat old Jim lub hisselt
and de treedum bes' OBJ all, and so he
run away
"The good lady could not help smil-
ing at his honest confession, and went
into the house. Then Jim conducted
his party over the place where he had
lived SO many years and been o slave,
and showed them everything.
slim, be 1t said to his shame. was
not brave man. He hated fighting,
and most of all feared artillery and
shells. One day, during the advance
on Bridgeport, there was a heavy ar
| tillery duel fought, and Jim got scared
and ran away. He was not seen for a
whole day, and when night came on,
the colonel, whose cook he was, began
to inquire where Jim was, ard why he
| did not have something to eat. The
pack mules came up but no Jim. After
they had been unpacked and soldier
had got supper, jim came sneaking
into camp very quietly, looking very
wild, and his eyes rolled from side to
side as If he was seeking for hidden
| enemy.
"'Come here, you black rascal
cried the colonel, 'and tell me where
you have been.'
"Jim came siding up to the colonel,
, and inquired ia low voice. Dat you
kernel? Alibe an well. An dar am
de capin, too an lookin' right at mo
and seemin' hull. Lord, Lord, what
day it hev bin. Kernel, wasn't it
dreffulp An you is all alibe. shure an
no mistake. Lord! Lordl l neber
spect to see you in dis worl' no more,
no ! didn't. Thot all my fren's hab
bin done an got killed, sartin, an dat
dis ole niger am de only one dat got
awav.'
"'Why JIM said the Colonel,
that is absurd. You are demoral.
| lied
"'Hol' up, hol' up, dear kernel
| cried jim, now doan swear, dear kerr
| mel, doan swear. Ineber was so near
my Dressed Lord and Master as l has
bin dis day.
| "'Why, how was that2' inquired
the colonel.
"'What for did dem rebels aim at
me, kernel? What fer did l ever do
dat dey should aim at meP' asked Jim,
savagely.
"'Aim at you?' said the colonel
Why, Jim, of course they were not
aiming at you, they aimed at the SOL
diers and not at you, mere noncom-
batant.'
"'But l warn't non comatent,' said
Jim. Now look heah, kernel, doap't
fool, fore God. doan't fool, dey aim at
me and come pretty near kotchin' me.
l heard de shot comm fro de air an
sayin as plain as am sayin' it to you
now: 'Whar's dat niggerr an den he
kotch sight OBJ me an KUN straight
fur me yellin': 4 see him, 1 see.him.'
An glib leg. an run away an dive
under dc log, when he bust hisselt up
in little pieces an went skirmishin'
round tryin' to git at me. But l hid
dar under dat log all day an do good
Lord he preserve me an dey didn' fine
me-
"Jim was in dead earnest, and moth
ing could shake his belief that he had
been singled out, as target, by the
whole rebel army, and that every shell
thrown by the rebel batteries had been
thrown at him personally.
NOW | do not wish you to think
from these stories considered the
colored people as towards. Far from
it, and happen to know that they are
as brave as any other race. Yes, there
are as brave black men as ever lived,
only they have some funny fellows
among them. During the war saw
black regiments fight, and remember
now of sending at the first battle of
Saltvllle, four hundred black men to
take battery on a hill They never
wavered tor one instant, but toiled on
up over the rocks and fallen timber
until they took the battery. And out
of AGO in that charge they left III dead
and wounded on the rugged hillside"
cloud applause, after which General
Brisbin related the following incident
of colored bravery:
BRAVE BLACK MAN.
"At the battle of Marion, Tenn,
fought between Generals Burbridge,
Gillem and Stoneman's forces on one
side and General Breckenridge's on
the other, a colored soldier was seen
far in advance of his regiment firing
at the enemy. There was large
stump midway between the lines, aud
the colored soldier seemed TO be head.
ing for it. Pushing through heavy
fire of the enemy he got within 60 or
70 yards of the stump. and then ran
for 1t. The fire was very heavy, but
he reached it, and falling down be- |
hind the stump lay perfectly still, and
many thought he had been killed or
MORALLY wounded. Alter a consider
able time there was puff of white
smoke ut the stump, and rebel drop
ped. Another long silence ensued, !
and then a second white puff was seen
a.a a..AIh a.. .abol Ial Tho rahola :